April 1 – May 1, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, April 1, 8-11 pm

La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90027
323-666-7667
www.laluzdejesus.com
info@laluzdejesus.com

Official afterparty, Friday April 1, 11 pm – TAIX Restaurant in Echo Park featuring The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra – Free admission!

Mark Gleason – “Mannerism”

In “Mannerism,” Mark Gleason continues to use Mannerist techniques with oil on canvas to explore existential themes via absurdist situations. Animals are often included to define aspects of the relationship of a central character’s orientation or connection to the world via communion or costume in psychologically fraught, private environments. Gleason’s subjects are shown in moments of preparation and conflict — his figures have roles to assume, and in doing so, a form of inner self is revealed.  His metaphoric images may seem cryptic but represent the underdog and the disenfranchised deriving fearsome capability from the mask of the powerful; figures communing with animals, or donning the guise of animals, holding knives out like some kind of animal self-protection stance or the Sisyphean struggle of attempting to lift books when you’re standing on them.

“Hopefully, my wit comes through in each painting. I would feel successful if I could convey the same kind of absurd humor found in Samuel Beckett’s writing. The imagery is a construct that has multiple meanings and layers and I leave blanks for the viewers to fill in. I’ve come to see that others bring their own stories and feelings to the work. I’ve intentionally fostered that kind of response with recent work, and I’m honored and challenged in creating something that may spark others to open their own responses to the work. I resonate to a statement by Degas to the effect that art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” states Gleason, whose work is also inspired by novelist Cormac McCarthy and silent film star Buster Keaton.

In addition to painting, Mark teaches high school art in Palo Alto, California and writes a daily music blog, “what do we have for entertainment”. This is Gleason’s second featured exhibition at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. www.markgleason.net

Daniel Lim – “Sweet IMperfections”

Fawn Fruits aka Daniel Hyun Lim relishes the spontaneity of the art and moves things as he goes with colored pencils and acrylics. His works are somewhat timeless with a striking juxtaposition of muted versus vibrant hues. The colors are an anchor to reality and are a huge factor to the symbolic message that he is telling. “Somewhere over the colors of the rainbow there lies a significantly beautiful truth, a truth that can only be realized with an intimate encounter. “Sweet IMperfections” is an artistic interpretation of a promise between the creation and his/her creator” states the artist. Rather than forcefully preaching to the viewer with religious imagery and symbolism, Lim brings new life to the genre by producing work that is based on his personal views on religion. “Although we see ourselves as imperfect souls, in the eyes of a loved one, we are perfect” states Lim who feels that there are enough serious paintings in the world that shout and make big statements. He wants his work to be more subtle and speak peacefully to the viewer and to bring a moment of tranquility. His dream is to show the world some love, one Fawn Fruits at a time. Lim is an illustration instructor at Otis college of Art and Design, Santa Monica College and Red Engine Studios. www.fawnfruits.com

Danni Shinya Luo – “Chaotic Harmony”

Danni Shinya Luo’s female forms breathe with a sensuality and intuition that will shatter your preconceptions about her chosen medium, the watercolor painting. Shinya’s fluid and organic figures are full of feminine mystery and romance. Her colorful animals are magnificently fierce, emanating a primal magnetism that is practically pheremonic. In “Chaotic Harmony,” using whimsical and subtly erotic figures, the interactions of human beings with their avatars from the animal kingdom convey modern psychological truths while relating age-old mythologies. The concept of this new collection is birthed from the artist’s own internal world; her past experiences are transformed into physical creatures, textures and color palettes. The subtextural inclusion of archetypal symbolism is never forced nor heavy-handed, but further enriches the central, “surface” view with allegorical depth –a reward for those willing to investigate just a bit further…

Originally from Shanghai, China, Danni Shinya Luo moved to California in 1995. She fell in love with art in grade school and after a few years of private study (and an apprenticeship with Chinese watercolor master, Ding Ha) was accepted into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she majored in illustration and graduated with honor in 2006. Shinya participated in key group shows, select solo exhibitions, and saw her work published in periodicals like Bust and Initiativa, books like “Eye Candy” and “Sugar & Spice,” as well as design projects like Nickelodeon’s Neopets and a line of toy dolls for Hasbro. In the year that has passed since her last featured exhibition, “Spiritual Deficiencies,” Shinya has published a now sold-out collected volume of her gallery exhibited work, “Breaking the Ice.” She also helped develop the re-branding of Marvel Comics’ signature female mutant “X-23” (providing the cover art for the first three issues). Later this year, her second book, “Soft Candy: The Art of Danni Shinya Luo,” will be released through seminal art publisher Last Gasp Books, featuring a collection of 200 full color pages of brand-new drawings and paintings. www.fawnfruits.com

Suffused with pessimistic shadows and redemptive illumination, Canadian pop-surrealist painter Heather Watts’ intricate paintings harness the pageantry of anthropomorphic heroes and martyrs to tell the story of individuals grappling with forces larger than themselves. “Some of the pieces for this show are quite dark thematically, but I’m not interested on focusing on the darkness for its own sake in my work, I’m interested in using it to show light, to paint darkness as something that reveals light, to see the darkness as a canvas for light, an opportunity for light to shine”  states the artist.

Watts, who is well-known for her past tiki-inspired paintings has exhibited works in galleries across the US and overseas, including La Luz de Jesus, Strychnin, The Shooting Gallery, M Modern, and Roq la Rue among others.  She is a self-taught painter with a Bachelors Degree in Asian Area Studies from the University of British Columbia. www.heatherwatts.com

Official After Party with
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra
Free admission!
Taix Resturant
1911 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 484-1265
www.taixfrench.com

Incelebration of this show and La Luz de Jesus’ out-of-town guests, Heather Watts (Vancouver, BC) and Mark Gleason (Palo Alto, CA)  there is an official after-party in the bar at TAIX, a beautiful French restaurant established in 1927, just a short drive from the gallery on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park. The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra features vocalist Jane Cantillon, her husband Richard Ross on guitar, percussionist Michael Pfeffer and La Luz de Jesus publicist Lee Joseph on bass. The combo plays a hybrid of urban garage folk. The show starts at 11:00 pm and the band starts at 11:30 pm. No cover charge!

On Saturday, March 26, our friend, Redwood booker and multi-band drummer Roy Morgan celebrates his birthday with a night of straight up loud punk, garage and rock ‘n’ roll! The lineup features Donovan’s Fairies in what appears to be their last show. The group which includes former Bomp! Records publicist Paul Grant on vocals, Dionysus Records’ Lee Joseph on bass, Backbiter’s Jonathan Hall and Heath Siefert on guitars and birthday boy Roy Morgan on drums, have been announcing last shows since 1985 and have once again confirmed that this IS it. No, really!!! Also, tearing up the Redwood stage will be Pat Todd and The Rank Outsiders, The Super Bees and The Neurotics . All proceeds from the door will be donated to (a yet unannounced) charity to help with Japan’s tsunami relief.

The madness takes place on SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2011, 9 pm – 2am at  The Redwood Bar and Grill: 316 West 2nd St # 202, Downtown Los Angeles. $5 cover, 21 and over.

Donovan's Fairies (will be appearing sans makeup...)

Pat Todd and The Rank Outsiders

The Neurotics

Heather Watts and Danni Shinya Luo have shows upcoming at La Luz de Jesus, opening on April 1 – here are links to an interview with Heather, featuring some pieces that will be in the show, and a time-lapse Vimo video of Danni Shinya Luo creating a beautiful piece with a col-erase red pencil and ball point.

Link: Heather Watts interviewed on the Hi-Fructose website

Link: Danni Shinya Luo in her second Vimo installment, “Year of the Rabbit” breathtaking! Music from the equally lovely Karen O and The Kids.

Jonny Whiteside Presents The Messaround’s Lucky 13 Edition with wah-wah overlord Del Casher, punk legend Dave Drive & The Zoomies, roots alchemists The Skip Heller Trio, destructo-rock sensations The Ingrates! Dick Deluxe fronts the houseband! All Ages! No Cover! No Prisoners!

Jonny Whiteside’s Messaround at Viva Cantina
Sun., March 20, 5-9 p.m.
900 West Riverside Drive,
Burbank, CA 91506
all ages; no cover.
FREE PARKING across the street at Pickwick Bowl (same owners)
www.vivacantina.com

Strap on Yer Dribble Cups To Suck Up This Highly Spiced Burgoo of Outright Slash & Burn Chaos Versus Cool, Controlled Old School Perfection

Messaround Witch Doctor Jonny Whiteside ecstatically yields to popular demand and welcomes back the incomparable guitar stylist Del Casher. The first visionary to adapt the wah-wah peddle unto a guitar (and the first to record with it), Casher is intimately conversant with the full spectrum of American music, from pure communicative jazz to frosty cocktail blues to rabble-rousing rockabilly. This is the cat who truly did the 1960’s Hollywood music business “A-Z”–as lead guitarist for Gene Autry’s Melody Ranch by day and as hired hand for Frank Zappa at the Whisky by night; an in-demand session player, who has cut with everyone from Frank Sinatra to supplying the twang for TV’s Bonanza theme and backing up Elvis Presley onscreen in Roustabout, Casher’s dazzling, wah-wah laced mastery is nothing less than mesmerizing.

The Thrill-O-Meter is sure to bust with Big Beat Mayhem Supergroup The Zoomies. Fronted by punk rock icon Dave Drive (Gears, D.I.’s) on guitar and vocals (!!!) with the equally esteemed veterano Dig Pig on guitar, plus Marty Perez, Ralph Lopez and (maybe even) Mike Manifold–the Zoomies will throw down thunderous, sublime trash rock for what is certain to be an auspicious Messaround debut, and we’re proud as hell to be hosting these gnarsome artistes.

Get-around singer-musician Skip Heller, the formidable, Les Baxter-mentored stylist who has collaborated with the likes of Sun Goddess Yma Sumac and Pachuco Boogie Godfather Lalo Guerrero, brings his crack trio, eccentric repertoire, decades of far-ranging experience and rare insider insight. The prolific and passionate Heller ranks as one of the West Coast’s most discriminating and broad minded talents, a man whose innate hep quotient and well-chilled instincts guarantees a performance loaded with sizzle and sensitivity.

Making another wild-hair Messaround debut tonight is the Ingrates, who’ll fire a high-calibre barrage of Iggy-Motorhead-Ramones bunker-busters directly into your soul. Fronted by untamed rock doll Paige Darling (whose 20th century incarnation the Darlings were good enough to make the Bomp Records roster) and featuring tenured Hollywood hellraisers Chris “Poobah” Bailey, Tommy Wright (late of 80’s-era Raji’s miscreants the Little Kings), along with Chris Schwartz and Jill Guido, this frantic combo is certain to live up to their name via a distinctive wall-to-wall-FTW-with-a-backbeat disregard for every known form of societal normalcy.

With an opening benediction from our brand spankin’ new houseband frontman Dick Deluxe and beloved ‘Mess stalwarts Paul Marshall and David Raven–the righteous rockers upon which we build this tabernacle–plus the inevitable surprise guest performers and the singular culture of lurid flat-git-it balling which the Messaround has created, it’s yet another blow-top schizo-phonic session of the highest order.

60s Eastside Sound Reunion Show

The Premiers

Sunday, March 20th, 2011
at the legendary Paramount Ballroom,
2708 E. Cesar Chavez Ave., East Los Angeles, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
$10.00 donation

The musical lineup includes The Premiers (“Farmer John”), Mark & the Escorts (“Get Your Baby”), Chan Romero and Eastside Revue (“Hippy Hippy Shake”), The Jags (with members of The Jaguars), The Salas Brothers, The Heartbreakers (“Cradle Rock”), Mickey Lespron of El Chicano, Ronnie Duran of Ronnie & the Casuals, Mike Rincon of The Blendells, The Storytellers, Easy Company, and The In Crowd.

The $10 donation will go to the families of Frank Zuniga, original bassist of The Premiers, and Annie Perez, the wife of lead guitarist of The Premiers, Lawrence Perez.  Frank Zuniga and Annie Perez passed away in December 2010.

Mark and the Escorts

DD Divas at The Redwood Bar and Grill

Sunday, March 13, 2011, 8:30 pm
Redwood Bar & Grill
316 W. 2nd Street (at Hill)
Downtown Los Angeles, CA

9:00 pm The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra — featuring Jane Cantillon
10 pm Patria Jacobs
10:30 pm Exotiki
11:30 pm Candye Kane.

(Okay, Exotiki are all guys, so they’re not “divas”, much less “DD divas,” but we need something for the ladies.)

Of course, “DD” stands for “Divinely Delightful.” What do you think it stands for??

Lotta Lounge:
An Evening of Vintage Variety

Saturday, March 12 • 6:30pm – 11:30pm
The Mayflower Club
11110 Victory Boulevard –
North Hollywood, CA 91606

The Martini Kings invite you to a special night of vintage variety acts. Hilarious Comedy – Amazing Magic – Delicious Cocktails – Tittilating Burlesque and Vintage Vendors! And of course, the intoxicating sounds of L.A.’s lounge leaders, The Martini Kings! Fans of swanky lounge music (a la Rat Pack era), cocktails, dancing, modernism, exotica and tiki, burlesque, vintage fashion, accessories collectibles and art, lowbrow comedy and magic will experience a night of mid-century madness at The Mayflower Club – one of the valley’s oldest private social clubs, founded in 1965

The Martini Kings play authentic lounge music with an ice-cool, cigar-smoke & Dubonnet fifties vibe that the Martini Kings. If you’re sharing a room with the Marsico brothers and you suddenly spill your drink, the culprits would most likely be the ghosts of Dino and Sammy brushing your elbow on their way to the bar. The Martini Kings original songs can be heard in the HBO hits Entourage, Six Feet Under and beyond. Smooth crooner Sonny Moon, on loan from the fabulous band Nutty, will be joining The Martini Kings at Lotta Lounge.

Scot’s unique and acclaimed performances combine his one-of-a-kind personality and newfangled object manipulation. Every show is a refreshing splash of unexpected ingenuity. Scot’s comic daring is infectious; his crowds cheer for every attempt, and positively rejoice at his successes.

You’ve seen him all over The Catskills, and in burlesque joints up and down the coast. Now we’ve got ’em!

Guaranteed to either astonish or confuse you (maybe both)! Mind reading, mystical mentalism and unparralled magic from a visitor from a far (32 miles to be exact).

Burlesque beauties Eliza Bane, Beulah Mae, Fever Blister and Lola Boutee:

These photos were snapped between March 1 and March 3 and document Billy Shire and assistants installing the massive 121 artist, 200+ piece  La Luz de Jesus Gallery juried group show, “Everything But The Kitschen Sync 14” along with the show’s artist preview night.

Roman Cho shot these photographs of the show’s opening party on March 4.

Have a look at the entire show at this link! There are still many great and affordable pieces for sale.

Luxuria needs your help

to survive and thrive!

(Reposted from the Luxuriamusic website.) For eleven years, Luxuriamusic has provided YOU PERSONALLY with a seductive variety of international music, chat, and interweb bonding. it’s our pleasure to do this, but it doesn’t come cheap. (Click Read More below to read more, or just click here to go straight to the Donate page.)

We want to move forward, but first, there are some tough realities to deal with. Listeners know our equipment is old and at the breaking point, and we can’t currently afford to repair or upgrade. In order to do that, we’re asking for your help.

Our DJs are currently working hard to make this 2011 pledge drive fun both for our listeners, and of course… for ourselves!  Why not!  We’re offering lots of great new Donation Premiums including CDs, DVDs and books by our distinguished staff, including Andrew (“Come to the Sunshine“) Sandoval, Steve (“The Nice Age”) Stanley, Kristian (“Peppermint Spicerack”) Hoffman, Gene (“Atomic Cocktail”) Sculatti, Strike (“Kitsch Niche”), Angel-Baby & Doctor Nod (“Between the Sheets”), and Jason (“The Bachelor Pad”) Croft.  In addition, you can choose to support our studio directly by clicking on a whole range of items in our studio, like microphones, the mix console, the T1 Internet terminal, and even walls and doors.

You can also send in a check, cash or money order to this address: LuxuriaMusic, LLC, P.O. Box 26290, San Francisco, CA 94126-6290 USA, or donate securely VIA PayPal using the DONATE link on the home page, or by clicking directly to http://luxuriamusic.com/donate.html .

Luxotronathon!!

Join Rotary Rachel and a cavalcade of stars/Luxuria DJ’s for the first annual 24 Hour “Bucks For Lux” Telethon, beginning at 12pm March 3rd and ending 12pm March 4th. (pacific)

There will be giveaways, auctions, games, and much more fun – including a line-up of VERY special guests! Scheduled to appear are TV’s Frank Conniff, Pamela Des Barres, Allee Willis, Blaine Capatch, Micky Dolenz, Ruthann Friedman, Taylor Negron, and many more TBA!!

Not to mention special sets from all your favorite Luxuria DJ’s….including OG Lux 1.0 legends The Millionaire and Eric Bonerz!

DO NOT MISS this amazing event! The chat room, donation page and phone lines WILL be open for this important cause. We need your help to keep all the groovy LuxuriaMusic programming on the air!